Silence
by xXRedsplash of SkyClanXx
Summary: After the rise and fall of the Dark Forest, the Clans bring forth all the truths they had hiden away so they may put away their differences and unite once and for all. However, some secrets were perhaps better off remaining in the dark...
1. Alliegences

**_Changes have been added and are in bold_**

 **THUNDERCLAN** :

 **Leader** : Honeystar- white she-cat with yellow patches

 **Deputy** : Ravenwing- black she-cat with dark blue eyes

 **Medicine** **Cat** : Deweye- Gray tabby she-cat with one blue eye

Apprentice- Owlpaw

 **Warriors** : Toms and she cats without kits

Leafsong- tortoiseshell she-cat

apprentice- Shadepaw

Larkpelt- Black tom

 **Snowbreeze** \- Long-haired white tom with gray at the ends of his fur.

Flurrypelt- long-haired white tom

apprentice- Cloudpaw

 **Lionfur** \- Light gray tabby tom with a lion's mane

Rainfur- Gray she cat with blue eyes

Breezecloud- Gray tabby tom with white legs

 **Thornstripe** \- Gray tabby tom

Beetail- cream coloured tabby tom

Sorrelpelt- light brown she-cat

apprentice- Redpaw

Flamestrike- Bright red tom with green eyes

 **Brackenheart** \- Dark ginger tabby tom

Stormpool- fluffy gray she-cat

apprentice- Eaglepaw

 **Apprentices** : young cats in training

Shadepaw- Dark gray and black tabby she-cat

Cloudpaw- sleek white tom

Redpaw- Calico she-cat with green eyes

Owlpaw- Light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes, does not like to speak

Eaglepaw- Tabby brown tom

 **Queens** \- She cats with or expecting kits

Willowbranch- Long haired silver tabby she-cat (Kits: Firekit- longhaired red tabby she-kit, Songkit- tortoiseshell she-kit, Graykit- fluffy gray tom)

Cherrypetal- Cream she-cat with red patches (Kits: Pebblekit- solid gray tom, Foxkit- red tom, Hollykit- black she-kit)

Daisyfur- pale yellow she-cat (expecting)

 **Elders** : retired cats

Dustfur- white tom with gray speckles

Flowerheart- calico she-cat

* * *

 **SHADOWCLAN**

 **Leader** : Rumblestar- black and white tom

 **Deputy** : Longwhisker- gray tom with long whiskers and green eyes

 **Medicine** **cat** : Pineleaf- tortoiseshell she-cat

apprentice: Swiftpaw

 **Warriors** \- Toms and she-cats without kits

Blacktail- black and white tom

apprentice: Thistlepaw

Tawnyheart- Brown tabby she cat

 **Mossyclaw** \- Small black she-cat with bright blue eyes

Littlepool- light brown tabby tom

apprentice: Brackenpaw

Cinderclaw- light brown tom

 **Nettleheart** \- Sleek dark gray she-cat

Whisperfoot- gray she cat

apprentice: Quickpaw

Branchpelt- brown tom

 **Wasptalon** \- brown tabby tom

 **Sleekclaw** \- Short-haired gray tom

 **Strikefur** \- Golden tabby tom

 **Clovertail** \- light brown tabby she-cat

 **Tigerstripe** \- Brown tabby tom with dark stripes

Screechowl- gray tabby tom

apprentice: Silverpaw

 **Apprentices** \- young cats in training

Swiftpaw- small black tom with blue eyes

Thistlepaw- spiky furred brown tom

Brackenpaw- light brown tabby she-cat

Quickpaw- Small black she-cat with green eyes

Silverpaw- silver furred she-cat

 **Queens** \- she-cats with kits

Morningshadow- pale gray she-cat (expecting)

Dawnheart- pale gray she-cat (Kits: Duskkit- dark gray tom, Twilightkit- gray tabby she-cat, Cloudkit- light gray she-kit)

 **Elders** : retired warriors

Bristlepelt- fluffy black she-cat

Berrybranch- calico she-cat

* * *

 **WINDCLAN**

 **Leader** : Stormstar- dark gray she cat

 **Deputy** : Hazelheart- Ginger she cat

 **Medicine** **cat** : Gorsepelt- brown tabby tom

 **Warriors** : toms and she cats without kits

Russetclaw- brown tabby tom

Swiftwind- pale gray tabby she-cat

apprentice: Moonpaw

Stonetooth- dark gray tom

apprentice: Foxpaw

Ravenflight- dark gray she-cat

apprentice: Flowerpaw

Blossomfoot- White she-cat with one spot on her paw

apprentice: Whitepaw

Bramblethorn- Brown tabby tom

apprentice: Heatherpaw

 **Snowtuft** \- White she-cat with one cream spot

 **Frostpool** \- Light silver she-cat

Birdtalon- dark gray tom

apprentice: Dovepaw

Sunpelt- ginger tom

 **Rockclaw** \- Dark gray tom

 **Aspenheart** \- Light brown tabby she-cat

 **Briarpelt** \- dark brown tabby she-cat

Lionclaw- dark ginger tom

 **Apprentices** \- Young cats in training

Moonpaw- light brown tabby she cat

Foxpaw- ginger tom

Flowerpaw- calico she cat

Whitepaw- white tom

Heatherpaw- pale ginger she cat

Dovepaw- solid gray she cat with white underbelly

 **Queens** \- she cats with kits

Mossheart- pale brown she-cat with green eyes (Kits: Honeykit- pale brown she kit, Beekit- black tabby tom, Beetlekit- light brown tom)

 **Elders** \- retired warriors

Darkshadow- dark gray and black tom

Mintfur- pale gray she cat with light green eyes

* * *

 **RIVERCLAN**

 **Leader** : Dawnstar- fluffy gray and white she cat

 **Deputy** : Minnowfur- longhaired gray tom

 **Medicine** **cat** : Troutswim- brown tabby tom

 **Warriors**

Graynose- gray tom

apprentice- Oakpaw

Darkflower- dark brown she cat

apprentice- Bluepaw

Snowpelt- white she-cat

apprentice- Jaypaw

Rippletail- light gray tabby tom

apprentice- Willowpaw

Lightningfur- pale ginger tom

 **Mallowfur** \- Fluffy gray tom with blue eyes

 **Lizardpelt** \- Dark brown tabby tom

 **Breezepetal** \- Solid gray she-cat

 **Owlwing** \- Light brown tabby tom

 **Podbranch** \- Light brown tabby tom

 **Havenclaw** \- Fierce brown tabby she-cat

 **Petalleaf** \- Light brown tabby she-cat

 **Heronfeather** \- small tabby tom

Mistyheart- pale silver she cat

apprentice- Hawkpaw

Stormtail- light gray tom

 **Apprentices** \- young cats in training

Hawkpaw- tortoiseshell she cat

Willowpaw- light brown tabby she cat

Jaypaw- gray tabby tom

Bluepaw- solid gray she cat

Oakpaw- brown tabby tom

 **Queens** \- She cat with kits

Fuzzyheart- fluffy gray tabby she cat (expecting)

Morningpelt- Light gray she cat (Kits: Volekit- light brown tom, Fishkit- tortoiseshell she kit, Bouncekit- gray tom)

 **Elders** \- retired warriors

Lakeheart- dark gray tabby tom

Brownleaf- brown tabby she-cat


	2. Prologue

The crescent moon shines its weak light down through the leaves as the wind gently disturbs the trees. The crisp fog that bellowed from her breath proved it to be a cold night, in spite of it still being leaf-fall. Memories flashed through her mind of the dream. Would they speak to her again? If so, then she would prove herself to be a true medicine cat. She would be important, rather than the burden everyone else thought her to be. She was already a terrible fighter and hunter.

The rustling of a bush broke the young she-cat from her thoughts. She pricked her ears forward. It was almost time. Soft chatter filled the air as the Riverclan and Windclan Medicine cats approached. They had finally arrived, and now they can move on to the moonpool before they freeze their whiskers off.

The tabby she-cat glanced to her left, where her mentor stood. In the broken moonlight, she could vaguely see gray tabby stripes. But her blue eye shined brightly at the sight of her two friends. The young apprentice felt jealousy burn her ears when she recalled how her clanmates treat her. Her mentor was the only one who believed in her. Only one who could be her friend.

Fur brushing against grass snapped her back to the present and the young tabby saw her mentor flick her tail to beckon her to follow. The group made their way down the well worn trail and the she-cat felt her senses work into overdrive. Something was wrong. They had to leave. They must go away.

Turn back.

They reached the moonpool. One by one, each medicine cat took their place, settling down to greet Starclan. The foggy breath from the other cats bellowed as they slipped into dreams and finally, the young apprentice took her own place and joined them.

Suddenly, she found herself standing in a meadow of Starclan. Green grass, warm wind, and heavy scents of prey flooded her ears, nose, and eyes. She blinked. When she opened them again, she found herself face to face with an old, faded cat. Too faded to identify any features, until he spoke.

"The darkness that shrouds the second will shed light on the third, the bringer of darkness will have a sight unlike any other."

 **A/N**

 **I do have a busy schedule and I will try to update regularly, but no promises. They next chapter should be done soon though. Beta readers are welcome to message me.**

 **When I'm finished with this, I may go back and rewrite some. Make it longer and such. I promise, the chapter won't be this short. Just the Prologue.**


	3. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

A well worn path cutting through a marsh by the lake filled with withering plants led toward the Gathering Island was disturbed as ThunderClan's newest calico apprentice pounced on leaves as they fell, following behind her mentor, Sorrelpelt. Gently falling, the biggest leaf yet drifts down and, fully intent on catching it, Redpaw pounced and landed on both the leaf and the tail of her mentor, earning her a swat on the ear. Redpaw ducked her head submissively, but otherwise didn't pay attention to the punishment.

"Honestly Redpaw, you make me wonder if you're ready to be an apprentice! Behave!" She flicked Redpaw's ear with her tail before the new apprentice dashed forward to find her mother and littermate, Stormpool and Shadepaw. Reaching their side, Redpaw pounced on her sister and began wrestling, blocking blow for blow and landing a few strikes on Shadepaw's ears. Until Stormpool picked her up by the scruff and glared down at her.

"Redpaw, you are six moons old now, you should know how to behave. I expect you to behave perfectly at the gathering and to find other apprentices to sit with. Don't make too good of friends though, but it's good to learn about them." Stormpool scolded but then licked her daughter's ear before walking off, joining her mate. Shadepaw padded up and leaned against her sister, her amber eyes shining. Redpaw was too excited to care about the scoldings. The calico apprentice knew she wouldn't embarrass her Clan.

"Do you think Honeystar will mention us? How big do you think the other apprentices will be? Do you think it's true that ShadowClan can disappear in shadows and RiverClan lives in the water?" Redpaw rambled to her sister excitedly as they approach the tree bridge. Her darker-furred sister shrugged and waved her tail farewell as she jumped up onto the tree bridge and took off for the other end of the tree. As Redpaw gathered herself to jump, Beetail jumped up behind her and followed the excitable apprentice closely, providing a sense of comfort before the ultimate shock of the gathering.

Redpaw's eyes widen as she realized that there were many more cats than she ever expected and her paws froze to the ground when she stepped into the clearing. Cats swirled around each other in their individual search for specific cats and the scents clustered together in a hot smelly sort of way, making Redpaw dizzy for a moment.

"Do you want me to introduce you to some of the other apprentices?" A familiar voice reached her ears and Redpaw shook herself out of her daze to see that Eaglepaw, an older apprentice, was standing beside her. "I know it's a big shock to see so many of us all at once, and being so friendly too! But why don't you meet some of my friends? A couple of them are not too much older than you." Redpaw nodded thankfully and followed the brown tabby tom through the crowd to a corner away from the bigger warriors to join a large group of apprentices. She was relieved to see her brother and sister, Cloudpaw and Shadepaw, already sitting with them.

"This is Jaypaw and Hawkpaw of RiverClan." Eaglepaw flicked his ears toward a gray tabby tom and a tortoiseshell she-cat, "Jaypaw is always grumpy," He added under his breath as the gray tom meowed his greeting of,

"Great. Another one." earning himself a gentle flick on the ear by the tail of a light brown tabby she-cat who then turned to Redpaw and Shadepaw and blinked in apology.

"Don't mind Jaypaw, he's always grumpy around new cats. He'll warm up to you." Eaglepaw leaned over and whispered into her ear, "That's Moonpaw, from WindClan. Beside her is her brother, Foxpaw," The ginger tom flicked his ears toward, them indicating that he heard them, he glanced over with a purr of welcome and shifted aside so Redpaw had room to sit. Dipping her head politely, Redpaw walked over and settled down. She was rather shocked that the WindClan apprentice was so kind and handsome.

Just as she settled down, two other apprentices appeared from the shadows; one silver and one black. Foxpaw leaned over and explained that they were ShadowClan apprenticesnamed Quickpaw and Silverpaw. "Quickpaw has always been jumpy around us and seems to know a lot about herbs and stuff, but her brother, Swiftpaw, is Pineleaf's apprentice so she can't act on that knowledge." Redpaw nodded slightly, watching Quickpaw shuffle around trying to get comfortable. Redpaw winced when she saw the nervous apprentice accidently put a paw down on Hawkpaw's tail and shoot backwards, blundering into Silverpaw, who lashed out and swiped her ear. But Quickpaw settled soon after that, a step away from the group and crouched down as small as possible.

Glancing over at Foxpaw, she noticed how his ginger coat seems to gleam gold in the moonlight, rippling over his muscles and sleek coat. Her ears burned slightly when he caught her looking, but with a purr he leaned down and whispered again.

"Would you like met to explain what all has been going on lately?" the smaller ginger she-cat nodded, eyes wide with confusion. Been going on? Aren't all gatherings different from the last? Then she remembered. The Clan's have been debating about something. Something about the sky? She shifted a little to get more comfortable then listened carefully to everything Foxpaw was saying.

"ShadowClan's leader, Rumblestar, is the black and white tom on the branch. Longwhisker is the gray tom below him. They have been arguing with our two clans about the return of SkyClan for a while. But their medicine cat won't get involved. That's Pineleaf, the tortoiseshell over their, in the group next to the deputies." He was flicking his tail towards the respective cats.

"My leader is Stormstar, the dark gray she-cat next to Honeystar. She really, really wants SkyClan to come back. We don't really know what her reasons are, but we are ready to support her for sure. My mother is the deputy, Hazelheart. She's the ginger she-cat talking to Ravenwing. And our medicine cat is Gorsepelt, the brown tabby over there," he flicked his tail towards the tom.

"Finally RiverClan, their leader is Dawnstar, and their deputy is Minnowfur." He beckoned towards the two powerful-looking, long-haired gray she cats. "And their medicine cat is Troutswim, who is talking to Gorsepelt." Foxpaw wrapped his tail around his paws, accidently brushing Redpaw's tail while doing so, making him mumble an apology.

"So what's going on with this SkyClan?" Redpaw mewed shyly, impressed by the handsome tom's knowledge. Foxpaw's eyes shined and he leaned forward.

"Well it started with Firestar, the legendary ThunderClan leader. He and his mate were summoned by StarClan to go on a quest away from the Clans and find the descendants of a lost, forgotten Clan. They were tasked to rebuild the Clan and set them up to thrive in a gorge located upriver from the old territories." the ginger tom sat up straight and flexed powerfully. "I am training extra hard so I can be chosen to go on the patrol to find them..." he broke off when a loud hiss echoed the clearing. They both jerked their heads towards the leaders to find Rumblestar and Stormstar yowling at each other.

"There must be five clans! If SkyClan was one of the original clans then they must return! Think of the techniques we could learn from them! The alliances!" The dark she-cat hissed, but Rumblestar was not fazed.

"There is simply not enough territory for another clan. And they wouldn't be allies! They would be rivals and not only that! There would be more squirrel-cats among us!" Redpaw bristled with anger. How dare he speak that way! Redpaw yowled with rage with the rest of the ThunderClan cats, bristling and calling out insults about their scaredy-mouse tactics in the shadow until Swiftpaw cried out above the protests.

"Clans of the lake! We have angered our ancestors with our arguing. Let us leave now to our own camps and return next moon to discuss in a civil manner," she emphasized the word with a glance at Rumblestar, "And hopefully reach a conclusion." Then the she-cat leapt down and ThunderClan charged after her. Redpaw, caught up in the urgency, mewed a brief farewell to Foxpaw before rushing to find her mother.

"Redpaw! Wake up!" a sharp jab in the ribs encouraged the apprentice to wake up. Half a moon had passed since since the gathering and she had trained hard. Just yesterday had been packed with patrols and battle training. Sorrelpelt's next command made Redpaw moan quietly.

"Hurry up if you want time to eat. We're going on a hunting patrol by the WindClan border." Wanting to sleep longer as well as wanting to see Foxpaw warred with the ginger apprentice until she climbed out of her nest and stepped into the hollow. Daisyfur and Dustfur were sharing a mouse near the fresh-kill pile and waved their tails in greeting to Redpaw. Next to the nursery, Willowbranch was laying down, watching her kits play. Yawning and stretching out, Redpaw caught the scents of incoming snow, she felt her energy returning. She had been born in the last snow of Leaf-Bare; that was how the Clan first met her. She had ignored her mother and dashed out of the nursery to see the world, only to go nose deep into a snow drift.

Feeling that old energy coming back, Redpaw dashed towards the fresh-kill pile and found a small mouse left. Gulping it down, she glanced around to find her mentor and spotted her talking with whom she assumed to be the rest of the patrol, Flamestrike, Larkpelt, and Beetail. All Good hunters and very easy going. This would be a fun patrol. She bounded over and waited impatiently for the older cats as they got ready to leave. She didn't have to wait long before Sorrelpelt looked over at her and the others stood up to leave.

"We're going to make this a sort of hunting assessment. We challenge you to try and bring back the most prey." The mentor meowed. Redpaw bounced excitedly before racing after the patrol. As she bursted out of the camp tunnel, Flamestrike jumped up in shock and ran. Bubbling with laughter, the group shot after Flamestrike in an unannounced race to see who could reach the WindClan border first. Redpaw, being the shortest, started lagging behind until they finally left sight.

Pelt bristling with excitement, Redpaw slowed to a walk to take in the scents. The snow scent had turned to dew and a few brave squirrels chattered away in the branches over her head. Most of the prey nearby had been chased off by the patrol, but she was hoping for something to catch before finding them again. Taking a deep breath, a faint scent of rabbit hit her mouth and the ginger apprentice focused hard to track it. Stepping carefully through the forest, the mouth-watering scent drew her out of the wooded area and close to the WindClan stream. Stopping, she glanced around before a flash of red on the horizon distracted her. Was that Foxpaw?

A bush rustled a few fox-lengths away and regained her attention. Dropping down into a hunter's crouch, she tasted the air again to check the direction of the wind and adjusted herself accordingly before drawing closer to the bobbed tail, which she now saw poking out of the bush. Slow and steady, slow and steady. Closer, closer…. She finally drew close enough to where she could practically taste it.

The bush rustled again and she froze. Had she given herself away? No. Impossible. Redpaw pounced. The rabbit gave out a terrible death wail before going silent and the small apprentice dragged it out of the bush.

"Nice catch!" A voice sounded behind her and Redpaw whirled around to see Foxpaw standing just on the other side of the stream. "You're a good hunter," he mewed. Redpaw's ears burned and she shifted her paws. The trees on her side of the territory rustled wildly and the scents of her patrol reached her.

"Redpaw!" Sorrelpelt raced up to her, "Have you caught something?" She glanced down at the rabbit and purred loudly. Her praise seemed less genuine than Foxpaw's though. Thinking of him, she glanced up again and noticed with shock that he was gone. Hearing her clanmates must have made him nervous.

"Come on. That shriek will have scared off any other prey. Let's go closer to the lake." Flamestrike's deep voice sounded next to her ear and she nodded. Grabbing the rabbit, she started dragging it away, tripping over it every couple of steps. With a purr of amusement, Beetail raced up and took the large prey from her. Free of the rabbit, Redpaw immediately began checking the wind for other scents. Her tail drooped sadly when she scented nothing. Noticing his daughter's disappointment, Beetail swept his tail along her back and flicked his ears forward, encouragingly. Nodding, Redpaw took off towards the lake until the smell of prey became a mouthwatering fact.

Redpaw felt pulse of satisfaction as she walked into camp with pride. She was walking into camp with the rest of the patrol, carrying a mouse and a bird while Sorrelpelt carried her rabbit. The others only had a mouse or bird each. She had won the challenge, but at a cost. While catching her bird, she'd snagged a claw badly. The limp was still evident and the claw still oozing blood painfully.

"Redpaw, at a little past sunhigh we are going with Eaglepaw and Cloudpaw, and their mentors of course, to do some battle training. Grab a bite to eat and rest up until then. And get that claw checked out!" Sorrelpelt called out as she walked away with Beetail.

Redpaw nodded, flicking her ear in acknowledgment as she tottered off to the Medicine Cat's den. The musty scent of old leaves and moss wafted toward Redpaw as she approached and, poking her head in, she saw Owlpaw organizing herbs and limped into the quiet area, stale scents of Clanmates still lingered and a few mossy nests were lying near a puddle of water to the side of the den.

"Owlpaw? I snagged a claw…" She trailed off a little. Owlpaw was so quiet most of the time and it was awkward to talk to her. The way Owlpaw moved was strange as well. The apprentice walked full of flow and grace and she never tripped. Hardly any cat could hear her pawsteps! Watching her now, even though she's only been a Medicine cat apprentice for four moons, she seemed perfectly at ease and far too knowledgeable for her own good. That being said, Owlpaw grabbed a few leaves and padded sedately over to Redpaw to examine her paw. Owlpaw licked the claw roughly, making Redpaw wince and yelp as she tried to keep her paw steady.

Finally after a few moments, Owlpaw leaned over and picked up a leaf and chewed it into a pulp before licking the leafy mess into the tear Redpaw lept back with a yowl, shaking her paw, causing Owlpaw to hiss at her.

"Stop that! How am I supposed to treat it if you keep acting like a kit?" Redpaw whimpered a little and stuck her paw back out toward the grumpy apprentice. A few moments later, Owlpaw sat up, dismissing her with a flick of her tail. Gratefully, Redpaw lept up and walked towards the mouth of the den.

"Beware Redpaw. Fire blazes bright and sure, but wind and water can sway even the most stubborn rock," A voice hissed from the shadows and Redpaw's fur fluffed up. She dashed out of the den quickly. Spooked, Redpaw swiftly trotted to the fresh-kill pile and picked up a mouse before ran to the furthest corner of the camp, away from the Medicine cat's den.

Redpaw picked at the mouse, creeped out by the strange voice she heard. Was it talking about Foxpaw? He was WindClan after all. Maybe it was it might have just been her imagination. Redpaw took one final bite of the rodent and and rose to her paws. It was about sunhigh now, so Sorrelpelt should be looking for her. The calico apprentice glanced around the camp and sure enough, Sorrelpelt was just getting up and heading her way. Shaking her fur out, Redpaw bounded toward her mentor and walked with her to gather Cloudpaw and Eaglepaw.

The two she-cats made their way over to the apprentices' den before poking their heads in to check for the toms. Cloudpaw was curled up in the middle of the cluster of nests while Eaglepaw was sitting in his nest, which was more to the side, grooming himself. He paused, glancing up when he heard the rustling at the entrance and saw the two on the corner of his eye.

"Battle training already?" He asked as Sorrelpelt nodded. Eaglepaw stood up and walked over to Cloudpaw as Redpaw and Sorrelpelt backed away and turned to find Flurrypelt and Stormpool waiting by the thorn barrier for them. Stormpool was filling in for Cherrypetal while the creamy she-cat was with kits, but Stormpool wasn't Eaglepaw's official mentor. Redpaw pranced toward her mother and fidgeted while they waited for the two toms.

Finally Eaglepaw walked out of the den with a drowsy Cloudpaw behind him. When they caught up, the group turned and made their way to the clearing where they battle train. Upon reaching the clearing full of short grass surrounded by small bushes and saplings, Flurrypelt dashed off and picked up a long stick. Redpaw watched him, full of curiosity, as he took the stick and drew and a line across the middle of the field.

"This," the white warrior tossed the stick to the side of the clearing, "Will be the border. We are going to split into two patrols. One patrol has to take the holly bush," he flicked his tail to one of the bushes on the far side of the clearing, "While the other patrol has to try to guard it as well as trying to get to the bramble bush." He indicated the brambles, which are opposite of the holly bush.

Redpaw nodded. She had heard of this sort of training before. It was fun and everyone learned something. She watched Sorrelpelt step forward, "This scrimmage will be warriors against apprentices," The she-cat mewed as she walked across the border line.

"Redpaw, come over here." Eaglepaw called. Obligingly Redpaw walked over to where he and Cloudpaw were already standing by bramble bush.

"This is what I've noticed to work. One of us will stay here and guard the bush while the other two go to the line. One will make a dash for the other bush and the last one will fight off as many as possible." Redpaw nodded eagerly when Eaglepaw finished outlining the plan. It sounded like it would work, although it would be very hard for one apprentice to try and hold of three, full-grown warriors.

"Since I've learned the most about multi-cat fighting, I will stand by the line. Redpaw, you're the fastest, so you try to run for the bush, and Cloudpaw, you guard the bush. You're big and muscular. I know you can hold back any of them until Redpaw can get over there." Redpaw's fur bushed up with excitement and Cloudpaw stood tall, as Eaglepaw and Redpaw stepped away toward the line to stand nose to nose with Stormpool and Flurrypelt. Looking at them at first glance, Redpaw guessed that Stormpool would be the runner. She had longer legs and was the fastest.

"Begin!" Sorrelpelt called from the front of her holly bush. Redpaw stood ready and, to her shock, noticed Sorrelpelt tackle Eaglepaw. Which meant…

Redpaw stuck out a paw and tripped Flurrypelt, who had tried to rush past her. As soon as he hit the ground, Redpaw tackled him and the two rolled around, blocking and dodging each other's blows. Back and forth, back and forth. Rolling and batting each other's ears. Soon, Flurrypelt had her on the ground. Redpaw instinctively went limp. Thinking she was admitting defeat, Flurrypelt relaxed and in that very instant, Redpaw surged upward into his belly and watched him land on his back. Tackling him and pinning him down, Flurrypelt's belly flashing and vulnerable;, the older tom stopped struggling.

"Alright Redpaw, I give in. Let me up!" Flurrypelt sighed in defeat, and Redpaw immediately jumped off of him and looked around. Stormpool was still tussling with Eaglepaw while Sorrelpelt had abandoned her post by the bush and was sneaking towards the brambles. Redpaw made a snap decision and raced towards the holly bush as fast as she could. As soon as she reached it, she let out a yowl.

Stormpool and Eaglepaw freeze in the middle of their wrestling and Sorrelpelt walks into the center of the clearing to announce the victory of the apprentices. Flurrypelt got up from where he had laid "dead" by the edge of the clearing and came over to join everyone in the center. Redpaw raced over and skidded to a stop next to Stormpool. Sorrelpelt looked met the eyes of everyone around her and saw that, just like Redpaw, they were all bristling with excitement and energy.

"Why don't we go on a border patrol? It might help calm us down and relax some." Sorrelpelt suggested, Stormpool and Flurrypelt glanced at each other and nodded their approval. "Alright! Then we will go along the WindClan border. It is calmer than ShadowClan, at least." Redpaw felt a flash of hope surge through her body at the thought of being along the WindClan border. The image of Foxpaw praising her filled her mind and made her stomach do flips. It wasn't until she realized that Stormpool had been calling her name that she snapped out of her daze and looked at her.

"Are you alright?" She had that concerned look in her eyes and as Stormpool licked her ear, "It's ok to be nervous. The other Clans can be unreasonable at times, but I'm certain nobody will attack such a small apprentice." Redpaw nodded uncertainly and started to pick up her pace so she could catch up to the others, who had already started to make their way out of the clearing. When she was out of her mother's gaze couldn't see, Redpaw breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn't been found out.

As they approach the WindClan border, Redpaw caught a whiff of mouse scent and rushed up to Sorrelpelt.

"I smell mouse! Can I hunt?" Redpaw begged. They weren't far from the stream and she knew if she could get away…., she might, just might, get a chance to see Foxpaw again. Redpaw gave an excited little hop when Sorrelpelt granted her permission to search for the mouse. As Redpaw followed the mouse scent, she noticed it leading toward the border.

With the scent growing stronger, Redpaw halted and drew in a breath to pinpoint the location of the rodent. Flicking her ears to and fro the calico she-cat both heard and scented the small creature at the roots of a birch tree growing on the bank of the stream. Lowering herself into the hunter's crouch, Redpaw drew herself forward quickly and silently, constantly checking where each pawstep would go and where the wind was coming from. When the mouse was just whisker lengths away, Redpaw pounced, landing squarely on the prey and with a quick nip, ended it's tiny life. Redpaw looked up at the darkening sky and silently mewed a word of thanks to StarClan.

"You will never cease to amaze me with how good you are at hunting," a smooth, hypnotic voice echoed in her ears making Redpaw jump and spin around toward the WindClan border. Foxpaw was standing on his side of the stream watching the ThunderClan apprentice intensely. When Redpaw stepped closer, Foxpaw waded into the stream and came to a stop close enough to Redpaw that they could touch noses.

"I want to see you again. Soon," Foxpaw begged causing Redpaw's eyes to widen in shock, "Please. Meet me tonight?" The calico apprentice froze for a heartbeat before nodding. She purred at the relief she saw flooding into Foxpaw's eyes.

"Meet me at moonhigh. If you follow our border all the way back beyond the far side border you will find a small clearing. You'll know it when you see it, I promise." Redpaw nodded, speechless and pressed her muzzle to his cheek before turning back to her mouse.

"I have to go now Foxpaw, I'm on patrol. But I will meet you there. I promise," Redpaw whispered as she picked up her catch then she dove into the bushes to track down her Clanmates.

That night as her denmates were fast asleep, Redpaw blinked her eyes open and stood up. Doubt tugged at her paws as she inched her way past her littermates and stepped over Eaglepaw's tail. Once out, Redpaw looked around for that night's guard and saw Leafsong sitting in the moonlight at the camp entrance. Moving with false confidence, Redpaw walked up to the tortoiseshell she-cat while thinking of an excuse to get out.

"Hey Leafsong. I can't sleep, would you keep an ear open for me if I went night hunting? I promise to be careful!" Redpaw meowed calmly, while her skin itched under her fur as she lied. Leafsong narrowed her eyes slightly, but nodded.

"Yes, I will. I'll let Sorrelpelt know as well when she comes to relieve me," Her suspicion obvious in her voice. Redpaw ignored it and twitched her whiskers with false assurance. If Sorrelpelt will know I went out, then I'd better make sure I bring back a lot of prey… The calico vowed to herself as she picked her way out of camp.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Redpaw picked up the pace until she was racing through the trees in the direction of the WindClan border where she saw Foxpaw earlier that day. When the birch tree on the bank was in view, Redpaw slowed to a walk and tasted the air. Foxpaw hadn't been here since she left. The calico apprentice shrugged, turning to walk along the border leading to the outclan territory. Redpaw drew in scents every few pawsteps hoping for a bit of prey.

It wasn't until Redpaw crossed the border that she caught scent of a nocturnal bird. Following the scent a little ways, the she-cat finally caught sight of a nightingale perched on a low-hanging branch. The apprentice lowered herself into a crouch, hiding uncomfortably in the long grass, waiting for the bird to hop down. Breathe in. Breathe out. Steady. Redpaw's eyes focused on the bird until nothing else seemed to matter, and what seemed like seasons later, the bird jumped down and started pecking at the ground.

Redpaw's heart started racing, her fur trying to bristle up, her tail ached with wanting to lash. She forced all the urges down and drew herself slowly toward the bird until she could almost hear it's breathing. It's heartbeat. The patched she-cat lunged for the bird and caught her claws on the bird's wings. With a quick bite to the neck, Redpaw picked up the bird with a satisfied growl.

Tail waving in the air, Redpaw worked her way back to the stream and continued on her path, deep into the unknown woods until finally she found it. Foxpaw's clearing. He was right, Redpaw did know it was she saw it. The beautiful clearing was full of heater and surrounded by little trees covered in pink and white petals. Those little flowers were decorating the clearing in the leaf-bare weather making it even more breath-taking.

Redpaw worked her way into the center of the clearing and sat down, tail wrapped around her paws and bird sitting in front of her temptingly. It was only moments before the calico she-cat heard the sounds of clumsy forest walking combined with muffled curses. Redpaw purred in amusement before she dashed over to the edge of the flowery clearing to meet him. The ThunderClan cat watched as the ginger tom made one last lunge and jumped into the clearing. The WindClan tom shook his pelt out before pressing into Redpaw's side, entwining his tail with hers and rubbed his muzzle along Redpaw's. The two apprentices stood like that for a few heartbeats before Redpaw stepped away to show the ginger tom the bird she caught.

"Want to share?" Redpaw offered, nudging the bird over to him. The handsome tom dipped his head gratefully and took a bite before nudging the bird back to the she-cat. Purring, Redpaw settled down in the long heather next to Foxpaw and the two apprentices continued sharing the bird in silence. Before long, Foxpaw nudged the remains over to his friend, allowing her to take the last bite. Glancing up at the handsome tom, Redpaw noticed a feather stuck to his muzzle. Slyly, she reached up and swatted the feather off, earning her a swipe back from the tom. Purring happily, the two apprentices engaged in a mock fight. The two swiped and blocked blow for blow as if they could read each other's mind until they collapsed into a heap on their backs.

The stars twinkled brightly in the night sky overhead, blinking like the thousands of eyes they are. Watching such eyes made Redpaw fidgety until Foxpaw turned to her.

"I suppose we should head back to our clans." Redpaw nodded sadly but Foxpaw wasn't finished, "Stormstar says he's going to try to get the other Clans to agree to sending a patrol to look for Skyclan at the next Gathering. Will you promise that we will do everything possible to be put on that patrol?" Redpaw nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course I promise! If it means getting to see you without hiding and going on an adventure, I swear to StarClan that I will be on that patrol!" Redpaw nuzzled his cheek lovingly before pulling away. "I'd best be leaving though. My mentor is standing guard tonight and I said I would be hunting." Foxpaw nodded and the two broke apart and ran for their own territories, with Redpaw searching for prey and Foxpaw blurring into the waking dawn until he disappears.


	4. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Redpaw crawled back into her nest, dawn not far off. Another meeting with Foxpaw proved to be just as fun as any other and worth the lack of sleep she received. They had agreed to meet every three nights, unless they have an assessment the next day. In which case they would find a way to warn the other. Thinking back on Foxpaw's warm laughter and soft purr, Redpaw lulled herself to sleep.

What seemed like heartbeats later, Redpaw woke to her sister prodding her side. "Wake up Redpaw! You lazy lug!" The dark apprentice mewed, "Come on! We're going on dawn patrol!" Redpaw sat up with a yawn, Shadepaw seemed to be satisfied with that as she then left the den. Giving herself a quick groom, the calico apprentice checked herself over once more for any scent of Foxpaw on her. Like usual, the WindClan scent had already faded. Hunting after they part ways seems to do the trick fairly well. Sleepily, Redpaw stood up and stretched before padding quietly out of the den, avoiding the other apprentices. Hawkpaw, who had grown significantly in the last moon, took up the most room. It couldn't be long before he was given a warrior name.

In the clearing, Redpaw was surprised that more cats hadn't awoken yet. The kits usually woke first thing, along with Honeystar and Ravenwing. However, the kits had not yet appeared and Honeystar hadn't come out of her den yet. Ravenwing was standing with the patrol, chatting quietly with Leafsong. Whatever it was, Shadepaw's mentor didn't seem to agree with the deputy. When Leafsong flicked her tail towards Redpaw, the calico felt fear shoot through her body. It intensified when Ravenwing glanced at the young apprentice and nodded.

Redpaw, knowing if she looked scared it would be suspicious, walked over with a false calmness toward the patrol and sat, confidently, nearby while the warriors continued their discussion. Rainfur and Breezecloud were chatting about one of the kits who fell ill the night before and seemed concerned that it could become worse than it was. Leafsong and Ravenwing had split up, Leafsong coming to join the patrol and Ravenwing had set off to start waking up other cats. Shadepaw wasn't to be seen.

"Redpaw, glad you got up quickly. We're just waiting for Shadepaw to return from the dirtplace and then we will be on our way to patrol the ShadowClan border." Leafsong explained when she neared the calico apprentice, "It will be a quick patrol to warm us up and remark the border with ShadowClan." Redpaw looked nervous. At the last Gathering, ShadowClan had been terribly hostile. With the three Gatherings the apprentice had gone to, the shady Clan had only proved to be vicious and cruel. Was it actually safe to patrol the border?

While Redpaw fretted, Shadepaw return and the patrol moved off to the leave the camp. Redpaw shook herself out of the mouse-brained thoughts and ran up to join Shadepaw. Her dark tabby sister leaned against the calico and purred.

"I don't know why you're so nervous Redpaw! You're the best fighter in the apprentice den! You're even better than Eaglepaw and he's four moons older than us!" Shadepaw urged. Nodding slowly, Redpaw realized that her sister was right. She was training really hard, day and night, and it had paid off. Training with Foxpaw had taught her speed and accuracy while Sorrelpelt taught her strategy and strength. She could fend for herself if any ShadowClan cats picked a fight with her! With her new-found confidence, Redpaw bounded up to the front of the patrol and walked with her tail in the air.

Redpaw padded through the thorn barrier and into the camp with Shadepaw at her side. The two sisters, satisfied with the patrol they finished, were starving. The two glanced at each other before racing toward the fresh-kill pile, glad to see that some cat had gone out hunting while they were patrolling. Shadepaw pulled out a large squirrel and glanced at Redpaw.

"Do you want to share? It is awfully big." The dark gray she-cat asked.

"Sure! Afterwards, I think I'm going to ask for some battle training," Redpaw responded, "Sorrelpelt promised to teach me how to knock down a much larger cat than me!" The sisters purred, carrying the squirrel together, as they headed toward their favorite spot. A sunny pile of rocks big enough for three cats to lay comfortably. Redpaw grabbed the squirrel from her sister and jumped up onto the rock first and moved over to give Shadepaw enough room to jump. After the two settled, Redpaw took a bite before nosing the rodent over. The calico sister looked around the camp to see who was up and was happy to see the kits out and playing. She watched them as Firekit and Graykit tossed a ball of moss back and forth, trying to keep their sister, Songkit, from catching the ball. When Songkit managed to snatch the mossball away, Graykit moved over and took her place in trying to snag the toy.

Redpaw was still watching the kits when she heard pawsteps behind her and familiar voice calling her.

"Redpaw, you need to hurry up. Ravenwing and Honeystar have decided that you will be helping me with my hunting assessment. It's supposed to be a paired hunting," Redpaw glanced over to see that it was Eaglepaw speaking, "If we pass, then I get to become a warrior! I know we will too, because you're the best hunter in the Clan!" The admiration in Eaglepaw's voice was unmistakable and rather moony. Redpaw groaned on the inside, she wasn't sure she liked Eaglepaw the same way he thought of her. But who cares? She was too young to think about mates anyways. She only been an apprentice for three and a half moons! Her attraction to Foxpaw was different. They were just friends, that's all. Friends with similar ambitions and clever enough to know they could benefit from other Clan's training techniques.

Redpaw nodded to Eaglepaw then took one last bite from the squirrel before saying goodbye to her sister. The calico she-cat jumped down from the rock and walked over to Eaglepaw, who then led her out of the camp in the direction of the abandoned Twoleg nest.

"Stormpool said to start as soon as you were ready." Eaglepaw explained while they walked. Redpaw nodded, too busy checking for scents of prey to really pay attention to what the brown tabby tom said. Instead, Redpaw pointed out the scents of a mouse and a bird. When Redpaw saw the mouse scurrying through the leaves, she tried again, but Eaglepaw kept walking towards the twoleg nest, flicking his ears to say he heard and that was all.

"Eaglepaw, we could have easily caught that mouse! And the bird too! Why are you so set on hunting at the abandoned twoleg nest?" Redpaw inquired, frustrated that they had let such easy prey go on ignored.

"I want a challenge. Something different. And hunting over there will mean we have less cover and more room for error. I want to really show them that I am ready to be a warrior." The tom explained quietly, "If it's easy, it doesn't prove anything." Redpaw nodded, she hadn't thought that way before. She remained quiet the rest of the way to the nest.

Once they reached their destination, Redpaw and Eaglepaw opened their mouths slightly and drew in the scents. A sharp smell hit Redpaw and she could only tell it was a bird, nothing more. She had never scented it before and she glanced at the older apprentice for a clue. Eaglepaw leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"It's a crow. And I think it's perched in that tree," He pointed with his tail towards a small birch tree, "I want you to wait over there while I climb the tree and scare it towards you. Be ready to chase it because it may not go straight to you." Redpaw nodded and stalked carefully over to the designated spot and waited. She lay crouched in the open, knowing she stuck out like a lily in the mud. Nonetheless, she waited as still as a stone and waited as Eaglepaw climbed silently into the tree and got into position. Heartbeats later, Redpaw heard a strangled yowl and obnoxiously loud rustling from the tree and knew Eaglepaw had started. The young apprentice watched carefully for the bird and was pleased to find it flying straight towards her, just like they planned. Redpaw waited for the perfect moment before pouncing into the air and snagging her claws in the crow's wings. Pulling it down to the ground, Redpaw swiftly snapped it's neck between her teeth and dropped it, waiting for Eaglepaw to return to her side.

The brown tabby tom reached her side at the same time Stormpool stepped out of the woods. Redpaw watched her trot up to them with a cheerful wave of her tail.

"I've seen enough, and I'm proud to say you pass Eaglepaw! You two go back to the camp and rest up. I'll speak with Honeystar about your ceremony." Stormpool praised them before shooing them away in the direction of the camp. The whole way back to camp, Eaglepaw couldn't stop purring and praising Redpaw for her skills. It was moony and dripping with honey, all his words were and it was making Redpaw sick to her stomach. Why couldn't Eaglepaw leave her alone? She was too young and not interested.

Finally, Redpaw dashed off. She knew the mouse she had scented earlier was around here somewhere and she just had to get away from the tom. Moments later, she found the mouse and dropped into a low crouch. Moving quietly, Redpaw drew herself as close as she could before she pounced, killing the rodent swiftly. Just a heartbeat after, she heard Eaglepaw's pawsteps pounding on the forest floor. Irritated, Redpaw picked up the mouse and spun around, heading deeper into the woods. When Redpaw couldn't hear the tom behind her, she slowed to a stop and parted her jaws to draw in the scents. Another mouse was nearby. Quickly, knowing she should reach camp soon, Redpaw pinpointed the mouse, stalked and killed the vermin. Giving a thanks to StarClan, Redpaw picked up both of the mice by the tail and dashed off towards the camp.

As she neared the hollow, Redpaw let out a quiet hiss of irritation when she spotted Eaglepaw waiting for her. When they walked through the thorn barrier, Redpaw mewed something about feeding the elders and bounded away towards the elders' den. The calico quickly dropped the mice in front of Dustfur and Flowerheart before backing away.

When she stepped back into the clearing, she was shocked to see Honeystar already walking over to High Rock. Redpaw glanced around and saw Stormpool and Cherrypetal chatting by the base of the highledge, glancing periodically at Eaglepaw. Shadepaw was near the nursery playing with the kits, and with a quick look to find Eaglepaw sharing a vole with Owlpaw, Redpaw dashed across the clearing to her sister. When she got near enough, the calico apprentice braced herself as Cherrypetal's kits; Pebblekit, Foxkit, and Hollykit, dashed towards her yowling loudly.

"Get away you ShadowClan mange-pelt!" Hollykit cried out, her brother Foxkit hissed agreement before ramming into Redpaw's side, pushing her over. Redpaw purred loudly and staggered around dramatically while the kits tackled her and climbed over her until she hit the ground.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Redpaw froze as Honeystar's call echoed through the camp. Shadepaw, who had been watching her sister tussling with the kits, bounded over and herded the kits back into the nursery. Once the kits were inside and Daisyfur was sitting at the entrance, the two sisters dashed over and sat at the edge of the clearing so they could listen and watch.

"We are gathered here today to perform one of my favorite duties. Eaglepaw, please step forward." Honeystar proclaimed, "Eaglepaw, you had the rare chance of being taught by two courageous and talented warriors. Stormpool and Cherrypetal, do you believe Eaglepaw has earned his warrior name?"

Stormpool stood up, "I do. While I taught him, Eaglepaw proved himself to be strong and loyal. He will be a great warrior." Cherrypetal stood up as Redpaw's mother sat down.

"I too agree that he deserves to become a warrior. He has trained hard and while I trained him, he was diligent and a fast learner. He will be a wonderful warrior, strong and wise." The queen stated before sitting down.

Honeystar nodded and jumped down from Highledge, "Then I, Honeystar of Thunderclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend him to you a warrior in his turn," the creamy leader turned to Eaglepaw, "Eaglepaw, do you promise to uphold the Warrior Code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Eaglepaw's eyes gleamed as he lifted his eyes to StarClan, letting out a solemn mew, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Eaglepaw, from this moment you will be known as Eaglestrike. StarClan honors your loyalty and leadership skills, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan," As soon as Honeystar concluded the sacred ceremony, Shadepaw started chanting Eaglestrike's new name. Redpaw noticed a proud gleam in her sister's eyes and felt reassured that her sister could easily attract the older tom.

"Eaglestrike! Eaglestrike!" Shadepaw's chant echoed and was picked up by many others. Cherrypetal's kits tumbled out of the nursery and ran up to the crowd, chanting the warrior's name. The Clan broke off heartbeats later, to turn and watch the four moon old kits blunder around Eaglestrike's paws, making him trip and purr. Cherrypetal watched happily for a moment before stepping forward and ushered the kits away.

"Come now, he needs to go sit vigil and it's bedtime for you." The gentle queen whispered to her kits as she herded the complaining kits into the nursery. Redpaw glanced at the sky and realized with shock that Cherrypetal was right. It was very late and Redpaw hadn't gotten much sleep the night before because of her visit with Foxpaw. With a stretch and a yawn, Redpaw stood up from where she had sat to watch the ceremony and worked her way to the apprentices' den. Once there, she glanced around long enough to see that her brother, Cloudpaw, was already in his nest. As she picked her way around the nests, she heard him cough weakly in his sleep. THe calico apprentice, however, was far too tired to notice anything except the warmth of her nest and darkness catching up to her as she slipped into play filled dreams with a handsome ginger tom.

The next morning, Redpaw woke slowly, listening to the distant trills of birds. As she sat up for a thorough grooming, Redpaw noticed that Cloudpaw was already gone and Shadepaw was also grooming herself. Redpaw mewed a greeting to her sister just as Sorrelpelt poked her head into the den.

"Oh good. You're already awake." She began, "I'm going out on patrol so I want you to hunt for the elders and queens today then rest up for the Gathering." Redpaw nodded respectfully and stood up. Shadepaw gave herself one last lick on the shoulder before joining the calico on her way out of the den. Cherrypetal's kits were in the clearing playing with their father, Larkpelt. Owlpaw was on her way to the elders' den, carrying a stick with a ball of moss on the end. As the two she-cats made their way out the thorn barrier, Redpaw heard Ravenwing assigning border patrols; sending Beetail, Eaglestrike, Rainfur and Breezecloud to the WindClan border. The sneaky apprentice tucked that order into the back of her mind and turned to her sister.

"Hey, why don't we split up? We won't get in each other's way if we do and we can cover more ground," Redpaw suggested. Shadepaw narrowed her eyes at the calico but nodded in agreement and bounded off toward the abandoned twoleg nest. Free of her sister now, Redpaw dashed toward the WindClan border, searching for prey-scent as she ran so she could have an excuse if she bumps into the patrol. As she neared the border, Redpaw caught on to the scent of a bird. The she-cat skidded to a halt and crouched low in the hunter's position. The calico apprentice flicked her ears to and fro as she tried to pinpoint the bird and heartbeats later she got it. There.

A small sparrow was struggling with a worm in, tucked in the crevice of a tree root. Now that she found the bird, Redpaw checked the wind and found herself to be upwind of the bird. Silently, she inched her way around and began stalking the bird, now downwind of her prey. Redpaw tread carefully over the leaf coverage and tested each step before putting her weight down. Slowly, steadily. She inched closer until the was almost on top of the feathered prey before the calico pounced, ending the bird's worm struggle quickly. Pleased, Redpaw dug a small hole by the tree and dropped the bird into it, then turned and kicked dirt over it.

Finished with the bird, Redpaw turned back toward the WindClan border and continued on her way. Just as Redpaw stepped out of the woods, she heard a quiet scramble in the leaves. Drawing in a breath, the apprentice identified it as a mouse and dropped into the hunter's crouch. With great care, Redpaw pulled herself closer and closer to the mouse and finally pounced for it. Realizing she misjudged the pounce, Redpaw spread her paws out wider in her leap and managed to trap the mouse between herself and a rock. Moving quickly, Redpaw lunged forward as soon as she landed and grasped the rodent with with teeth, snapping its neck in her jaws. Relieved, Redpaw trotted back to the tree she buried her bird under and added the mouse to the hole. Before she moved away, Redpaw checked the scents nearby again and was shocked to find that she could already smell another mouse. She hadn't ever thought the prey would be dumb enough to return to a recently hunted area quite so quickly.

With a shrug, Redpaw located the next target quickly, finding it to be hiding under a holly bush barely a foxlength away. Watching the rodent through the leaves, Redpaw knew there would be no way she could catch it while it lingered under the bush, and only heartbeats passed before she decided to come back to the mouse. After giving up the endeavor, Redpaw managed to make it all the way back to the WindClan border without scenting any prey. As she approached, she heard someone hiss her name from under a bush on the border. She neared the wooded border between WindClan and ThunderClan carefully, checking for scents and listening for the border patrol. Just when she was a few steps away, she heard her Clanmates chatting loudly through the trees.

"Foxpaw! What do you want? A patrol is coming!" Redpaw hissed urgently, all too aware of how close the patrol was now. Was that a flash of Eaglestrike's fur? Foxpaw poked his face out from the bush quickly.

"I want to see you again! Meet me in our clearing tomorrow night?" He begged, eyes darting between Redpaw and the approaching patrol. The ThunderClan apprentice quickly nodded in agreement before dashing away. She didn't have to go more than a few strides before the smell of squirrel registered in her mind. Slowing down, Redpaw pinpointed the fluffy tailed rodent to be sitting on the roots of a large oak tree, picking through acorns. The calico apprentice crouched low and swiftly crept up to the squirrel and pounced. She knocked the fat rodent off it's root and onto the ground. Redpaw struggled a little with the squirrel before it died. After catching her breath, Redpaw picked up the squirrel and trotted in the direction of the patrol. She knew they would recognize her scent by the border so she thought she should make herself be seen.

As she picked her way back to the border, Redpaw heard Beetail chatting with Eaglestrike about WindClan pressing awfully close to the border. The young cat felt guilty, knowing who they were mentioning. She trotted by the group, waving her tail in greeting, as she quickly made her way back into the woods to her previously caught bits of prey. As she dropped the squirrel by the rest of her catches, Redpaw heard her mouse again, in a different, but reachable, spot. She tracked the small creature to the roots on the other side of the tree she was at and caught the rodent quickly.

As Redpaw walked back around the tree to see how much she could carry in one trip, she heard pawsteps approaching. Thinking it was just the patrol, Redpaw ignored the sounds and worked at pulling her catches out of the hole. Just as she bent down to pick up the bird, Eaglestrike stepped around a tree and called out a greeting.

"Hey Redpaw! That's a huge load! Would you like some help carrying it back?" The tabby tom inquired. Redpaw, though she was irritated it was him, nodded silently. She really didn't want to make two trip. Redpaw scooped up a mouse and the bird before stepping out of the way to let the new warrior pick up the second mouse and the squirrel. Eaglestrike's posture strained under the weight of the large squirrel and he looked like he regretted his offer, but he said nothing and as they walked back to camp, the brown tabby padded close to the younger cat, pelt almost brushing Redpaw's side. The calico she-cat held her peace though, until they entered the camp and dropped her catches into the fresh-kill pile. That's when she turned to Eaglestrike.

"I'm going to go share a mouse with Shadepaw and rest up for the Gathering tonight. I'll see you later," She mewed curtly, "Thanks for helping me carry my catches." Redpaw scooped up the squirrel and a mouse and headed for the elders' den. She quickly gave them the squirrel to share before backing out of the den and looked around for her sister.

Shadepaw stepped out of the nursery, flicking her tail irritably as a kit pushed past her causing the dark tabby to trip. Redpaw called out to her sister to get her attention before bounding over and asked to share her mouse. A little more cheerfully, Shadepaw nodded and the two sisters trotted over to their eating place. As the two settled on the large stone, Redpaw watched as Honeystar approached Ravenwing and began chatting. Their eyes darkened for a moment before they reached an agreement.

Just as the two apprentices finished off the mouse, Honeystar called for a gathering. Slowly, the Clan warriors approached from around the clearing, Cloudpaw and Songkit padded slowly out of the Medicine cat's den and settled at the entrance. Breezecloud and Daisyfur came from the nursery, the queen very heavy with kits. The two mates sat at the entrance of the nursery while Willowbranch poked her head out before disappearing back into the nursery. A moment later she reappeared, herding two of her kits in front of her, Firekit and Graykit. Redpaw noticed Flamestrike, Rainfur, and Eaglestrike near the front, closest to the Highledge.

"Today is another wonderful day. I am honored to announce that Firekit, Graykit, and Songkit are six moons of age and are ready to become an apprentice." As Honeystar spoke, Redpaw saw Willowbranch and her mate grooming the kits quickly. They gave up when Honeystar beckons them forward with a flick of her tail.

"Firekit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Firepaw. Your mentor will be Flamestrike. I hope Flamestrike will pass down all he knows to you." Honeystar looks over to the fiery red tom.

"Flamestrike, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Flowerheart, and you have shown yourself to be a strong hunter and a wonderful leader. You will mentor Firepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Firepaw," As the cream colored leader finished, Flamestrike padded up to his new apprentice and touched noses. Redpaw saw Firepaw whisper something, but could not make out what. Honeystar looked over at Songkit, who was still seated by the Medicine Cat den.

"Songkit, you too have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be mentored. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Songpaw. When you are once again well, your mentor will be Rainfur. I hope Rainfur will pass on all she knows to you." Honeystar dipped her head to the she-cat she named.

"Rainfur, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You received excellent training from Dustfur, and you have shown yourself to be compassionate and patient. You will mentor Songpaw when she has been released from the Medicine Cats care, and when that time comes, I expect you to pass on all you know to Songpaw," Honeystar finished. Rainfur stood up and looked over to the newest apprentice, dipping her head politely. Finally, Honeystar beckoned Graykit forward, who looked ready to burst with excitement.

"Graykit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be mentored. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Graypaw. Your mentor will be Eaglestrike. I hope Eaglestrike will pass down all he knows to you," Honeystar's announcement caused shock to ripple through the Clan for naming the newest warrior. Eaglestrike sat up proudly in spite of the disarray.

"Eaglestrike, you are a new warrior but I believe you are ready to take on an apprentice. You received excellent training from both Cherrypetal and Stormpool, and you have shown yourself to be resourceful and smart. You will mentor Graypaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Graypaw and to never hesitate to ask your seniors for advice." Eaglestrike walked proudly over to his new apprentice and bent his head down to touch noses. Purrs of amusement rippled through the gathered cats as Graypaw shot his nose into the air, bumping his mentor's nose a little too hard. When they started to walk into the group, the Clan started chanting their new names in unison.

"Firepaw! Songpaw! Graypaw!" They yowled to the darkening sky a few times before some of the gathered cats started to stand and depart, but Honeystar had not finished.

"I also am naming the cats accompanying me to the Gathering. Deweye, Owlpaw, Leafsong, Shadepaw, Eaglestrike with Graypaw, Sorrelpelt, Redpaw, and Flamestrike with Firepaw." Honeystar listed off the cats, "I plan to propose a patrol to find SkyClan tonight, if one of the other leaders does not suggest it first." Several cats cheered upon hearing that, however a few whispered among themselves, Shadepaw among them.

"But what about ShadowClan? They still don't want SkyClan coming back!" She whispered urgently, while the gathering dispersed, "If they still don't want another Clan, then how will we send a patrol?" Redpaw shrugged, far too excited to worry about what ShadowClan thought.

"Well just because ShadowClan doesn't want to go doesn't mean the rest of us can't!" The calico answered. Shadepaw still looked doubtful, but the two sisters stood up anyways and stretched out their legs before joining the patrol by the thorn barrier. Most of the named cats were already there, but they were waiting on Ravenwing and Deweye.

A few moments later, Ravenwing walked out of the Medicine cat's den with Owlpaw. When the two came closer, Ravenwing explained that the senior medicine cat was not joining them.

"Deweye is worried about Cloudpaw and Songpaw, so he is going to stay behind. However, Owlpaw will come with us." The black she-cat mewed, in response, Honeystar nodded and signaled for the cats to follow her through the tunnel.

With her mentor on one side and her sister on the other, Redpaw thundered through the barrier and into the woods, taken up by the energy of the cats around her. The group sprinted towards the lake and just as it came into view, they slowed to a walk. Redpaw and Shadepaw walked silently, side by side, as they trekked through WindClan territory. When they reached the marshy area, Redpaw scrunched up her nose at the smell.

"I can never get over this stench! How do WindClan cats stand it?" The calico apprentice whined.

Shadepaw responded, "Well they are so scrawny and weak, maybe their noses don't smell as keenly as ours!" Redpaw purred with her sister while they joked back and forth about the various Clans. When they finally spotted the tree bridge, Shadepaw excused herself to find Leafsong. Alone with her thoughts for once that day, Redpaw thought about Foxpaw. Would he be there? She hoped so.

So deep in thought, Redpaw hardly noticed herself crossing the tree bridge and entering the Island's clearing. It was only until she heard Foxpaw's voice that she snapped out of her thoughts.

"It was a huge fox! It took two entire patrols to drive it off!" Foxpaw was exclaiming, Hawkpaw and Jaypaw were sitting around him, eyes wide and fur bristling excitedly. Moonpaw was also sitting nearby nodding occasionally. Quietly, Redpaw joined the small group and listened to the rest of the story. Shortly after the end of the handsome tom's story, Rumblestar called out for the Gathering to start.

"Let the Gathering begin! I shall start, if that is not opposed," Rumblestar glanced at the other leaders. When they did not protest, he continued,"All is well in ShadowClan and I am proud to announce the names of some new warriors! Brackenpaw and Silverpaw have taken the names Brackenthorn and Silverfrost!" A chant started up for the new warriors that Rumblestar quickly dismissed, "I have nothing else to announce," He sat down and looked to the other leaders. Dawnstar stood up next.

"I too have new names to announce, Morningpelt's kits have reached their sixth moon and took on apprentice names! Volepaw, Fishpaw, and Bouncepaw are here tonight for their first Gathering!" Dawnstar let the cats below chant the names without interruption, "That is all I have to announce." As she sat down, Redpaw watched Honeystar and Stormstar debate about who would speak next. Finally, Honeystar stood.

"Like ShadowClan and RiverClan, I have names to announce. Eaglepaw has earned his warrior name, Eaglestrike, and we have three new apprentices as well! Firekit, Graykit, and Songkit have all earned their apprentice names!" The gathered cats once again cheered, although it was significantly shorter than the first two chants.

"I also have a proposition to make. Before I explain however, Owlpaw has something to share with you all." The creamy she-cat dipped her head the the Medicine Cat apprentice, who stood up confidently.

"I had a dream last night that I was watching over a forest that I did not recognize. I watched as a fire blazed through it, creating a path through the woods. What was strange was that as the fire progressed, an owl flew in front of it, as though it were guiding the fire. Flying behind the fire was a large bird, snatching up anything that could possibly pose a threat and clearing it away," Owlpaw described her dream, "I believe it is a sign, but I do not know quite yet what it could mean." The tabby she-cat sat down abruptly.

When it was clear that Owlpaw had said all she wanted, Honeystar stood back up, "Thank you Owlpaw. Now, what I believe is that the dream is connected somehow to SkyClan and my proposition is this," She paused for a second, "I believe we should send a patrol made up of all the Clans to find SkyClan and bring them back. I think if we follow the fiery trail led by the owl, we can find the missing Clan and return to how we began."

As expected, Rumblestar immediately started to yowl his protest, but Honeystar silenced him with a flick of her tail, "I understand your objects Rumblestar, we have all heard them StarClan knows how many times. If you do not want to contribute to this journey, then stay out of it." Rumblestar hissed at the she-cat but backed down.

Stormstar, WindClan's leader, stood up beside Honeystar, "I too was going to suggest sending a patrol, however my medicine cat has not received any sign. They fact that yours has convinces me fully that we must send a patrol. I do have one thing to add though." she paused and glanced at Honeystar, who nodded, "While it may be a dangerous journey, I also believe it would be good experience for our younger cats. I propose we each send one apprentice each. We have had a long time of peace and this journey can supplement them with greater experience." The dark gray she-cat sat down and Dawnstar took her place.

"I think that is a dangerous idea, however I do not object. With the lack of conflicts around the lake since the Great Battle and Great Storm seasons ago, I'm afraid we are not quite at our strongest. I support your idea, Stormstar." The fluffy gray and white leader sat down again and Honeystar nodded gratefully.

"Okay. Then it is a plan. We will each send three cats each, one of them must be an apprentice. We shall meet on WindClan territory halfway between ThunderClan and RiverClan in three days time." Honeystar finished, "If WindClan has nothing to report, then I suppose we can go home now and get ready." Stormstar mewed that he did not and jumped down from the tree.

As Redpaw stood to leave and was mewing goodbyes to her friends, she heard Foxpaw whisper quietly by her ear.

"Let's not meet tomorrow. We need to train extra hard to get on that patrol." Redpaw nodded slightly before walking away, following her Clanmates off the Island.

The next morning, Redpaw woke to hear Honeystar calling for a meeting. As she padded out of the den, the calico she-cat noticed that almost everyone was already in the clearing, whispering excitedly to one another.

"I have spoken with my senior warriors and have decided who to send on the SkyClan patrol." Honeystar announced, "I will be sending Owlpaw, as she received the dream, Sorrelpelt and Redpaw!" Redpaw bristled with excitement, but when Shadepaw stood up abruptly, she stared in shock.

"Why Redpaw? Owlpaw is an apprentice! Send another warrior!" Shadepaw complained. Honeystar dipped her head in agreement.

"We have decided on Redpaw as she is almost as strong as any warrior and is an excellent hunter. Qualities necessary for this kind of journey. I am not sending another warrior because Owlpaw is almost full grown anyways." Honeystar responded, causing Shadepaw to crouch down, irritation flashing in her amber eyes. "As for the three named, until it is time to leave, you will rest, eat, and rest. That is all." Honeystar dismissed the meeting and jumped down. Redpaw stood up to approach her sister, but when Shadepaw noticed the calico, she bounded away with her tail lashing, muttering complaints.

Redpaw stood staring at her paws until Sorrelpelt came up, "Don't worry too much about her, Redpaw. She's just upset that she doesn't get to go. Now, why don't you go relax or play with Cherrypetal's kits?" Redpaw nodded sadly and trotted slowly back to the apprentices' den.

At least she would be able to go on the journey. Perhaps Foxpaw was going too! Redpaw filled her mind with thoughts about Foxpaw until Shadepaw's behavior left her mind and the calico sister dozed off into a gently sleep.


	5. Chapter 3

_Redpaw followed the SkyClan patrol, lagging behind a little ways. Beside her was Foxpaw, her handsome best friend. They had been travelling for two days now and Redpaw hadn't lost the feeling of being watched. Today though, everyone was nervous. Everyone was jumpy and mad, nobody seemed to trust any sound. The calico could feel the tension building, as if a bad storm was about to break. It grew and grew and even the sky seemed to darken with the tension._

 _Suddenly, a crack of lightning shot through the sky and in the same moment, Redpaw heard a yowl._

" _ShadowClan! Attack!" And chaos broke loose. Redpaw twisted in the air as she heard someone pounding up behind her, she seemed to have timed it just right, for she landed right on the shoulders of a ShadowClan apprentice, Thistlepaw she thought. The small tom shrieked out in surprise and dropped to the ground under her weight. Redpaw slipped a little in the quickly slickening mud and dug her claws into the tom's shoulders. Thistlepaw let out a loud yowl and shook her off. The ThunderClan apprentice jumped back up, the rain now downpouring, and struggled to tackle the tom again. As she reared up to pounce, her back legs slipped in the mud and her claws came tearing down his face. Blood splattered everywhere and the young tom howled in pain and rain away. Redpaw spun around, looking for another ShadowClan cat and saw Foxpaw a few fox-lengths away, struggling with what looked like another apprentice and a warrior._

 _A lightning bolt struck down, somewhere nearby, and as it lit up the area, Redpaw saw the three battling cats clearly. Foxpaw was up on his back legs striking out and blocking, paws flying everywhere. The other two were Silverpaw and a warrior she had only seen vaguely, Tawnyheart. The older warrior was oddly rounded, as though she were expecting kits. As Redpaw scrambled through the mud to help her friend, Tawnyheart let out a shrill cry and fell to the ground. Foxpaw and caught her muzzle and flung her to the side._

" _Don't hurt her!" A ShadowClan tom left his battle with Sorrelpelt and tackled Foxpaw, pinning him down. Redpaw cried out as she watched the cat lunge for his throat._

" _Foxpaw! No!"_

Redpaw woke with a start, panting heavily and reeking of fear scent. Her sister, Shadepaw, looked up at her with dull, uncaring eyes.

"Well it's about time you woke up. Your yowling was keeping me awake all night!" The dark tabby snapped before stomping out of the den. Redpaw studied her paws sadly. Ever since she was chosen to go on the SkyClan patrol three days ago, Shadepaw and treated her badly. Snapping at her for everything and ignoring her if she wasn't mad! Graypaw sat up from his nest and looked over at Redpaw.

"Don't listen to her! I sleep closer to you than she does and I could barely hear you," The young apprentice tried to cheer Redpaw up. The calico apprentice purred weakly and was grateful when Sorrelpelt's head poked through the den entrance and looked around for her apprentice.

"Redpaw! Come on, we need to eat and get ready to meet the rest of the patrol on WindClan patrol." The ginger she-cat left the den as Redpaw stood up and shook out her pelt. Before she walked out of the den, Redpaw leaned over and licked Graypaw's head.

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up." she mewed quietly. Graypaw nodded and started grooming himself. Redpaw stepped out of the den and blinked her eyes clear. Sunlight streamed into the hollow and the calico she-cat could see Pebblekit, Foxkit, and Hollykit playing near the nursery. Songpaw was laying at the edge of the Medicine cat's den watching the kits from across the clearing.

As Redpaw watched the sickly apprentice, Owlpaw padded out of the den carrying leaf bundles. Sorrelpelt had picked up a couple of mice from the fresh-kill pile and was headed towards the leader's den. Once she reached the entrance, the ginger mentor turned and caught Redpaw's eye, silently telling her to come over. Understanding, Redpaw made her way to the leader's den, noticing that Owlpaw and Ravenwing were also heading that way.

Sorrelpelt nudged over a mouse as Redpaw approached, indicating that it was for her. The calico apprentice settled down and was about to tuck into the rodent when Honeystar padded out of her den and joined the small group that was forming. Redpaw politely waited for Honeystar to start eating the sparrow Sorrelpelt offered her, but the leader dipped her head indicating that the calico could begin eating.

"I wanted to remind you of your duties, Redpaw and Sorrelpelt. We are ThunderClan warriors and you two will be going out past Clan boundaries. It is your responsibility to learn as much as you can about the other cats so when you return, you may teach others. And Redpaw, respect the elder warriors of the other Clans, but never forget that Sorrelpelt and Owlpaw are truly the only ones you need to listen to." Honeystar paused in her speech to let everything sink into her two warriors. Sorrelpelt dipped her head towards her leader and Redpaw's tail tip flicked back and forth as the creamy she-cat continued.

"Also, even though you are leaving the territories, remember that you are each in your own clan. The warrior code still affects you! You may set parts of it aside while you're journeying, but never forget that you are loyal to ThunderClan." Honeystar watched their reactions as she finished. Sorrelpelt's eyes gleamed with loyalty and love while Redpaw's shone with excitement and bravery. Satisfied with what she saw, Honeystar stood up to leave but turned back before she stepped into her den.

"Redpaw, spend some time with your parents. You will be away for a long time. So long, in fact, you will likely be ready for your warrior name upon returning."

Redpaw nodded solemnly as Honeystar disappeared into her den. Taking the advice to heart, the small apprentice looked around the camp for her mother and father. She saw them close to the nursery with Shadepaw and Eaglestrike. The kits were playing with Eaglestrike's tail while the warrior was speaking with Shadepaw. Stormpool and Beetail seemed engrossed with what the tom was saying. As Redpaw padded over to join them, her tail drooped with disappointment when Shadepaw glanced at her before dashing towards Ravenwing.

Redpaw's mother seemed to notice her gloom because when the calico finally reached her parents, Stormpool gently laid her tail on Redpaw's shoulder and gave her daughter's ear a lick. Beetail didn't do anything, but he was watching Shadepaw closely, confusion lighting his eyes. Redpaw followed his gaze over to see Shadepaw joining Flamestrike and Firepaw, Brackenheart, and Larkpelt in the morning patrol.

The calico she-cat had her attention snap back to her little group when she heard Pebblekit yowl and Eaglestrike cried out. When she looked at the two, The small gray kit had the tabby tom's tail pinned to the ground. Redpaw continued to watch as Foxkit and Hollykit leapt through the air and slammed into Eaglestrike's side. The young warrior toppled over from their weight and he playfully batted them away.

"Redpaw, are you sure you will be ok on this journey? You're so young!" Beetail's voice echoed in his daughter's ears. She glanced over at him, surprised to see his fur bristling and a worried gleam in his eyes. "We don't know how far away you will be! How could they possibly think it's ok to send such a young apprentice?" Redpaw's father fretted, his tail tip twitching back and forth and his ears pinned back.

"Redpaw will be just fine. She has Owlpaw and Sorrelpelt to take care of her and she is your daughter. If she has anything about you in her, it's that she was born ready!" Stormpool reassured the anxious father, "Now hush your fretting before you make her nervous!"

Redpaw twitched her whiskers humorously when the older tom crouched low and tried to smooth out his fur. Vaguely, she heard the kits planning to do something in the warriors' den and then there was a scampering of their little feet. Looking over, Redpaw saw Eaglestrike scrambling to sit up and shake himself out. With a quick lick to his chest, Eaglestrike glanced at the now eldest apprentice with warmth.

"I can tell you, too, that Redpaw will be just fine on this journey. She was always the best at hunting and fighting! There's nothing I can think of that could best her, especially not with Sorrelpelt and my sister!" He mewed softly, Beetail seemed to relax at that statement. Redpaw felt irritation surge through her. _Yes, he is a nice tom. But I wish he would just stay out of my fur!_ Redpaw thought to herself.

The calico was saved from snapping at the moony tom when Sorrelpelt called from across the clearing.

""Redpaw! Let's go! We need to meet the rest of the patrol now!" The yowl apparently woke the rest of the Clan, as cats started swarming out of the dens. Owlpaw walked out of the Medicine cats' den again, holding more herbs, with her ears pinned as warriors started crowding around the departing cats. Redpaw had to shove her way through the gathering to reach her mentor and friend. Once at Sorrelpelt's side, Ravenwing stepped forward.

"All who do not have a direct influence on this patrol! Go about your normal duties! Leafsong and Honeystar will be assigning patrols!" everyone ambled off with grumbles and hisses, except for two cats. Cloudpaw and Songpaw bounded up to them just as Ravenwing turned her back.

The small tortoiseshell apprentice looked up at Redpaw in awe as she weakly mewed, "Bring back lots of stories for us!" and Cloudpaw gave her a croaky purr. Owlpaw however, seemed to be very distraught that they were not in the den and hissed at the pair. Songpaw turned, with a happy gleam in her eyes, back to the medicine den and Cloudpaw called over his shoulder,

"Good luck, Redpaw! Find SkyClan and make things right!" The white tom broke off into a coughing fit as he made his stumbling way back to the den where Deweye was now waiting. A pile of herbs sat at her feet and when Redpaw stood up to follow Sorrelpelt and Ravenwing out of the camp, the apprentice caught a waft of catmint.

Redpaw scampered ahead as the four cats approached the WindClan border. The herbs Owlpaw had given her were amazing, she felt as though she could fly if she wanted to. Thinking it would be ok to cross the border now, since they are meeting the SkyClan patrol, Redpaw gathered herself up and was just about to take a flying jump over the stream into WindClan territory.

"Stop!" A yowl sounded from across the border and Redpaw skidded to a stop, tripping and finally, tumbling into the stream. Sorrelpelt and Ravenwing came dashing up the border and glanced down at her before Ravenwing turned to face the WindClan patrol. Sorrelpelt offered her tail for Redpaw to latch onto and pull herself up with.

"Did you have to do that?" Ravenwing hissed the the patrol, "She's just an apprentice, and now she's going to be soaked before the journey even begins!" The cat who shouted at Redpaw cowered down, looking now, she could see to be a new apprentice. The pale brown she-kit slunk back until she was behind, who seemed to be her mentor, Aspenheart. Frostpool and Rockclaw, the other two warriors with the tiny apprentice, stepped forward. Rockclaw in front of the kit, Frostpool to stand in front of the ThunderClan cats.

"You don't have to be so harsh! Can't you see Honeypaw is young? It's her first time out of camp!" Frostpool mewed desperately, "Just come with us! We can take you at least most of the way to the meeting point!" Ravenwing's tail was thrashing, but Owlpaw leaped calmly across the stream.

"We'd be glad to accept your offer, Frostpool." The Medicine cat apprentice meowed. The she-cat gave Ravenwing no choice but to follow suit. Redpaw looked at Sorrelpelt, who shrugged and jumped over the border to join their patrol. Shivering and trembling, Redpaw picked her way more carefully across to WindClan territory. Once there, Sorrelpelt pressed against her apprentice in attempt to warm her up.

In the strange turf, the tall dry grass almost immediately started tickling Redpaw's nose. The calico sneezed and shivered more. The wind picked up, the cold sinking in until Redpaw was shivering so hard, Owlpaw fell back to press on her other side. With the wind blocked on both sides, Redpaw began to warm up. As the cats trekked through the plain, unchanging terrain, Redpaw felt her energy coming back and once they came within sight of the meeting place, she felt ready to fly again.

Ravenwing looked over at Frostpool, "We can find our own way now. I'm sure you have plenty of places left to show your apprentice," Her voice was icy and Redpaw shivered again when she saw the harsh glare in Ravenwing's eyes. _I wonder what Frostpool ever did to her…_ Redpaw thought to herself, noticing that Ravenwing's anger seemed to only be directed at the speckled cat. With a dip of her head, the WindClan she-cat stepped away and led her patrol back the way they came, disappearing over the ridge.

Only meer heartbeats later, the ThunderClan patrol saw another group of WindClan cats, sitting and waiting, in the designated meeting area. Two ginger splashes stood out on the prairie and Redpaw had to hold herself back from dashing away and greeting Foxpaw, whom she was certain was one of the two ginger specks.

The dusty grass waved wildly in the wind until it blocked her view of the group they were approaching. She blindly padded two foxlengths further and suddenly, the grass was shorter and softer. And only a few paces away, Foxpaw was sitting with his back to her speaking softly with Sunpelt, an almost identical copy of the apprentice. Almost immediately, Owlpaw and Ravenwing walked over to speak with the WindClan deputy, Hazelheart. Redpaw glanced at her mentor and saw that she seemed distinctly uncomfortable as Stonetooth made an appearance. The air was became very thick with cat scent and the wind had decided to stop blowing, making the air stifling and hot in spite of the early leaf-fall weather.

Redpaw inched away from her mentor and tried to get Foxpaw's attention, pouncing on flowers and chasing a bug. When she finally decided that she could not get her friend's attention, Redpaw padded away and faced toward the RiverClan territory, watching for the last of the SkyClan patrol. She was watching the grass wave and the clouds drift in the sky. She could just barely hear the lake lapping at the shore and the only thing missing was the creaking of branches over her head. Redpaw suddenly felt very small and scared. She started to cower down when Foxpaw settled himself down next to her.

"Sorry about ignoring you. Sunpelt was giving me a talk about 'loyalty.'" Foxpaw explained, "He ended it with 'go make friends with the ThunderClan cat' which doesn't make any sense, but oh well." Redpaw purred, feeling a little better.

The two apprentices chatted quietly about the talks they'd had in preparation for the journey, jokingly mocking their leaders and mentors. Redpaw was just about to complain about Eaglestrike when Foxpaw sat up and gestured with his tail.

"Look! There's RiverClan cats coming!" The handsome ginger tom yowled, gaining the attention of the deputies and their mentors, Sorrelpelt and Stonetooth. The group stood impatiently as they all watched the fish-smelling cats approach.

What felt like moons later, the RiverClan cats finally joined them. Hawkpaw with Mistyheart, Stormtail, and Minnowfur. The three deputies stepped off to the side for a moment before turning to the newly formed patrol.

"Well, because of how late RiverClan was today, I'll keep this brief. You need to make your way to the mountains. Find the Tribe of Rushing Water and rest up with them for a couple days. Continue on over the mountains until you find a large twoleg place with a riv-" Ravenwing broke off as Hawkpaw pushed forward.

"We all heard the story and we all know the route just as well as you! Just let us leave already!" Redpaw stared in shock at the obnoxious apprentice. _Why would anyone be so rude? It's just not right! Ravenwing is our elder!_ The ThunderClan apprentice thought. Redpaw was even more shocked when Ravenwing simply nodded and stepped away.

Foxpaw nudged her shoulder and Redpaw realized that in her daze, Owlpaw had already started leading the way towards the back border of the territories. The SkyClan patrol, as Redpaw dubbed them, made their way across the WindClan territory, inching closer to the ThunderClan border as they travelled. The plan, from what the calico she-cat heard, was to travel along the Clanless border of ThunderClan territory until they reach ShadowClan territory. That's when they would branch away from the borders and set for the Tribe in the mountains.

As the group trotted through the territory, Redpaw bounced around. She pounced on flowers and leaves, splashed in small puddles and stalked lizards through the undergrowth. Occasionally Foxpaw would pounce on her tail as she stalked the small creatures, earning more than a few odd looks from the warriors. The calico apprentice flicked her tail irritably when Sorrelpelt gave her a stern glare, ending the play between Redpaw and Foxpaw.

Soon after settling down, the SkyClan patrol neared the stream and Mistyheart dashed ahead to peer into the water. Hardly a heartbeat later, her paw flashed into the water and scooped out a fish. Stonepelt hissed as water splashed him and Sunpelt pelted over to knock the fish back into the stream.

"Not here. You're on WindClan territory which means prey-stealing." The ginger tom hissed, causing Mistyheart to flatten her ears and slink back to the rest of the group. Redpaw leaned over to Foxpaw, who was still walking beside her, and whispered in his ear.

"It's ThunderClan's stream too. And neither of our clans eat fish anyways! I don't see what the big deal is!" Foxpaw just twitched his ear in response. Redpaw sighed and sped up to trot beside Sorrelpelt and Stormtail. She caught up to them just as they stepped into the clearing Redpaw and Foxpaw had been having their code-breaking nighttime meets. Realizing this, she bounded ahead and threw herself around the clearing, pouncing on flowers again and trying to catch the tree-flower petals as they drifted to the ground. In the corner of her eye, she could see Foxpaw doing the same, trying to cover any lingering scents they had left. The two relaxed when none of the other warriors seemed to notice the old traces of clan cats and shared a glance of relief.

As the clan cats continued on, the woods got darker and spookier. A new haze filled the air and dark clouds began gathering in the sky. Reminded of her nightmare, Redpaw inched a little closer to Foxpaw. Together, the two moved up to walk close to their mentors.

"We're nearing ShadowClan territory now, be as quiet as possible." Sorrelpelt whispered into Redpaw's ear when she neared enough. The apprentice gulped and nodded, taking extra special care to step lightly and swiftly.

When the time was thought to be sunhigh, Stonetooth padded up to Owlpaw. The patrol was growing tired and hungry, even the plump RiverClan cats looked hollow.

"I suppose we should stop to hunt and rest, yes?" The gray warrior suggested politely, Owlpaw froze for a moment and looked at everyone. Shock registered in her eyes when she saw how the patrol was looking. Everyone was tensing up with belly rumbles and the younger warriors and apprentices jumped at every creak of a branch. It was sunhigh, but the light was more like dusk. The branches creaking in the wind sounded like enemy pawsteps. The howl of the wind giving signals of battles to start. As Redpaw and Owlpaw looked at each of the cats, they watched Sunpelt blunder into Hawkpaw by accident, causing her to turn and hiss ferociously.

"Yes. We rest now and hunt. I should have noticed sooner how tired you all had become." The tabby medicine cat mewed. Mistyheart and Stormtail both gratefully sank to the ground while Hawkpaw and Sunpelt dashed off in opposite directions looking for prey. Foxpaw and Redpaw exchanged a glance before diving into the bushes in unison.

On the other side, Redpaw greeted her handsome friend in their usual manner; side by side, tails intertwined, muzzles gently touching. Redpaw lifted her head a little more to reach the larger apprentice's ear.

"We need to not show them how close we are. But I really want to hunt with you too," Redpaw whispered, her friend nodded slightly, "I suppose we just not talk when the others are around, but when we go hunting, hunt together? Or maybe the other way around? Talk but not hunt?" The she-cat fretted until Foxpaw turned and gently laid his tail across her muzzle.

"Hush now, it will be ok. We will talk when we wish, and hunt how we choose. We are both still young they will dismiss it as that." He said simply, his voice sweet like honey, soothing. Redpaw felt her worries melt away like dew in the morning sun. She purred as the two walked deeper into the woods, tasting the air occasionally for prey scents.

As they rounded a large oak, Foxpaw froze and tasted the air again. Redpaw copied him and caught traces of rabbit. She crept up beside the tom and looked around. A small clearing with a couple bushes lay in front of them. As she tasted the air again, she heard a faint rustling on the far side. Letting the sound guide her senses, Redpaw saw the small bob of a rabbit tail protruding from under the bush. She laid her tail on Foxpaw's shoulder and gestured to the bush. With a nod, Foxpaw leaned close to whisper in her ear.

"I'll go around the far side and chase it out to you. Be ready for a run, ok? I don't know for sure it will come straight for you or if it will veer to the side. So be ready," Redpaw nodded as the handsome tom stepped away to stalk quietly around the clearing. He disappeared in the undergrowth, impressively well for a WindClan cat. Redpaw waited a few heartbeats before crouching low and stalking toward the center of the clearing.

A flash of ginger was all the warning Redpaw had before Foxpaw charged the bush and a yowl scared the rabbit out of the bush. StarClan's luck had it that it came straight into Redpaw's jaws. Just as she snapped her teeth around the rodent's neck, a second rabbit burst from the undergrowth. She went to leap for it, but her paws tangled helplessly on her catch. A flash of red shot past her and the dying screech of a rabbit echoed through the woods. Redpaw straightened herself out in time to see Foxpaw stand up proudly with a rabbit in his jaws.


End file.
